Fuse for projectiles.



Patented Aug. 8, I899. H.3P. MERHIAM FUSE. FOR PROJEGTILES.

(Application filed Jan. 21, 1899.)

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WI TNESS 3 fl. Q11

4 TTOHNEYS No. 630,622. 1 Patented Aug. 8, I899. H. P. MERRIAM. FUSE FOR PROJECTILES.

(Apphcat on fil d Jan 21 1899) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (No Model.)

- zfizi nesses -UNITED STATES PATENT Fries,

FUSE F OR PROJECTILES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 630,622, dated August 8, 1899. Application filed January 21, 1899. Serial No. 702,916. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY P. MERRIAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fuses for Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.

In an application filed by me October 26, 1898, Serial No. 694,587, I have covered a fuse for projectiles consisting, broadly, of a fusebody adapted to be secured in the base of a projectile and formed with a hammer-chamber and a bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in the chamber and having a securing pin'or shank connected with and projecting from it through a suitable opening into the bolt socket or cavity transversely of the path of movement of the boltand constructed and arranged to yield and break under a transverse bending strain, and a bolt supported in the bolt cavity or socket and exposed to the gas-pressure of the propelling charge of the gun to be forced thereby against the securing-pin to bend the pin laterally and break it oil from the hammer to thereby release the hammer in its chamber. N ormally the hammer is supported in inoperative position in one end of its chamber by the securing-pin, which is suitably held in the bolt cavity or socket. In the form of fuse shown and described in said application the securing-pin is held against transverse movement at the hammer end by its engagement with. the hammer and the wall of the opening communicating between the hammerchamber and bolt cavity or socket, while a spherical head on the end of the securing-pin rests freely in the bolt cavity or socket ,and'is exposed to the transverse bending strain exerted upon it by the bolt when the latter vis forced forward in its cavity by the gas-pres sure of the propelling charge of the gun, whereby the securing-pin is bent transversely until it breaks adjacent to the hammer, and the ham meris released in its chamber in readiness to detonate the primers when the shell strikes the target. My present invention is an improvement upon the fuse covered by said above-named application and operates upon the same general principle, in that the sectionsfrom the said, point.

hammer is supported in inoperative position in its chamber by a securing-pin which is suitably held in the bolt cavity or socket and constructed and arranged to yield and break under a transverse bending strain exerted upon-it by the bolt when the projectile is fired from the gun.

The object of my present invention is to simplify and improve the structure and operation of this style of fuse for projectiles.

The fundamental principles upon which the operation of my improved. structure depends may be briefly stated as follows: When a rod or pin moves laterally around a point more or less distant, the velocities of movement of the varioussections of the rod or pin vary proportionally to the distance of said If the aboye rod, to be referred to as a first part, be now imagined to be prolonged. by successive short sections, still keeping one piece of metal, and the velocity-of each of the successive sections of this second part varies gradually from that of the part of the rod immediately preceding it and proportionally to the distance of such section from some point not coincident with the center for the first part of the rod, then a bending of the rod is produced at the point between the first and second parts. In ap plying these principles to the breaking of the metal retaining pin or shank which secures the hammer in inoperative position in a fuse it will be clear that if the bending action is confined toa suflicientl y short section to overcome the tensile strength of the material a rupture of the pin or shank will take place. I claim, broadly, principles to theconstruction jectiles.

In my present invention the securing-pin (constructed to break under a transverse bending strain) is suitably connected with the hammer to normally restrain itfrom denotating the primers and extends freely through an enlarged opening'from the hammer-chamber to the bolt cavity or socket, wherein it is suitably supported and enposed to the action of the hammer-releasing bolt or piston, which by reason of the arrangement and construction of the pinand supported hammer in the of fuses for prothe application of these fuse-body imparts a snEficient transverse bending strain to the pin to break it and release the hammer in its chamber. The pin is connected with the hammer, so as to have a slight rotary movement laterally ofthe f nsebody either with the hammer or independently oi' the hcin'inelyand is secured in the bolt socket or cavity either by a. connection directly with the bolt or piston or by a connection with the fuse-body or by other means which Will allow it lateral movement in the opening between the hammer-chamber and bolt cavity or socket when acted upon by the bolt or piston. "W hen the belt or piston is forced forward in its socket or cavity by the pressure of of the propelling charge of the gun, the securing-pin wil he forced laterally in front of the belt or iston,an-d'es the pin must move in a rotary direetion around a point at or adjacent to its hammer end and when connected directly with the bolt in e rectilinear direction at its opposite end or (when connected with the fuse-body at said opposite end) in a, rotery direction around its point of connection with the tnse-body-a-t seidopposite end it will be subjected to an eilective transverse bending strain and will break adjacent to the hammer to releaee the hammer in its chamher. The opening communicating between tiiehn mmenehember-end bolt cavity or socket 5-6H13Ag6d to allow free lateral movement of the eee-nring-pi-n inthe fuse-body, the pin belug-confined only by its connection with the hammer and belt or fusebody in the bolt cavity GT'SDGLZQll. Said opening is preferably an elongated slot extending in the direction of the bolt cavity or socket. The securing pin is preferably screw-threaded to render it sensitive to leterel strain and also to provide it simple and convenient means of attachmeet to the hammer and bolt; but the pin inc-y be otherwise connected with the hammer and bolt (or fuse-bod y) end rendered sensitine to ihe'breeiliingtransverse bending strain by an out or groove at the desired breaking section.

The preferred forms of construction of any iingnoved 5115c and their operation Will be bonnie-otter fully described in detail with. reference to the in the annexed claims.

in said drawings, Figure l is a sectionaleceorn-penying drawings and tile niwelty will be particularly pointed out Fig. 2 is a similar viewaction of the hammer-securing pin.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the shell 1 is formed in its base with an interiorlythreaded openingf, into which the body 2 of myimgroved use is screwed. The fuse-body 2 is formed with a, hemmer-chamberB, having a hemispherical lower portion 3, in which the spherical hammer 4 normally rests. 6 is the hammer-securing pin or shank, preferably screw-threaded from end to end for the double purpose of melting the pin sensitive to a. transverse bending strain and for facilitoting the rigid attachment of the pin with the hammer and bolt. The hammer 4 is formed with athreeded redial opening 5, into which one end of the threaded pin 6 is screwed. If desired, the pin 6 may be formed with a nicked head and extend entirely through the hammer, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, in which case the head of the pin will confine the hammer upon the pin and the lower end only of thepin need be threaded. The pin 6 extends from the hammer 4 through an enlarged opening 8,lead-i-ng from the hammer-chamber into the bolt cavity or socket 7, which is formed in and extends transversely of the body of the fuse and is open at one end to expose the firing belt or piston 9 to the pressure of the gases-of the propelling charge of the gun. The bolt or piston 9 is formed with e transverse interiorly-threaded opening 10, into which the lower end of the securingpin 6 is screwed. The opening 10 in the bolt 9 may be directly transverse to the length of the bolt, or ,it may be inclined more or less to the transverse diameter in the direction of movement of the bolt, it being preferable to have the opening slightlyinclined tosupport the securingpi-n in inclined position to facili= tote the breaking of the pin, as will be clear from the hereinni tergiven explanation of the operation. The-opening 8, leading from the chamber to the bolt cavity or socket, is considerably larger than the diameter of the se curing-pin to allow free lateral movementof tee securing-pin at the moment of firing the shell to facilitate the breaking of the pin in accordance with my invention. Said opening 8 is preferably in theform of an elongated slot extending in the direction of the bolt cavity or socket. it will be clear from the description as fer its gone that in the form of slight movement in a rotary direction in the seat of the hammer-chamber, while the firing bolt or piston being of cylindrical shape and supported in a cylindrical bolt cavity or socket is capable of moving only in a rectilinear direction. The divergent paths of movement of the hammer and firing-bolt hav ing the pin secured to them prevent the various sections of the pin from morning at v-elocities proportional to the distance of such sections from the center around which the hammer moves, thereby subjecting the pin to a severe transverse bending strain, which results in the breaking of the pin and the release of the hammer in its chamber. 12 is the usual soft-metal gasket or thimble fitting snuglyiu the open end of the bolt socket oreavity 7 to prevent the passage of powder-gases past the bolt 9 into the hammerchamber. The belt or piston 9 is of sufficient length to shutoff communication between the opening 8 and open end of the bolt cavity or socket to further insure against the entry of powdergases to the hammer-chamber. The inner end of the fuse-body 2 is interiorly threaded for the reception of the annular head or primer-carrier 20, which is formed with an annular combustion-chamber 22, in which is supported a quick-burning charge 23 and a series of sockets 21, in which are mounted the primers or fulminate patches 24, resting against firing-lugs 25. 26 are ball-firing pins secured in the sockets 21 in contact with the primers 24. The primers are in direct communication with the annular combustionchamber 22. The chamber 22 is closed by the circular perforated plate 30, which is Socured in the open end of the annular combustion-chamber by upsetting the metal of the primer-carrier 20. The inner face of the primer-carrying head 20 is dished or formed with a conical socket in which the ball-receiving openings 21 are formed. In the center .suring a maximum force of impact of'the 5 hammer against the primers when the shell strikes the target. When the velocity of the shell after firing is retarded, as when striking a target, the spring is easily compressed by, the hammer and does not appreciably interfere with the detonation ofthe primers.

Referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed thatthe hammer-securing pin 6 is secured tothe hammer and firing-bolt, as

' in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2; but in this modified form the securing-pin is inclined to a greater degree to increase the transverse bending strain exerted upon the securing-pin when the projectile is fired.

,In'the modified form shown in Fig. 3 the structure of the primer-carrieris also somewhat different from the preferred form above described In this form I employ a single primer 35, mounted in a central socket in the primer-head 20 and communicating with the annular combustion-chamber 22 through one or more inclined passages 36. A single ballfiring pin ismounted in the central socket of the primer-head in contact with the primer. The conical spring 50 of the preferred form of fuse is omitted and in its place a spidershaped spring 38 is substituted'forengaging and steadying the hammer in its chamber during flight of the shell.

In the form of fuse shown in Fig. 5 the hammer-securing pin or shank 6 is integral with or otherwise rigidly attached to the spherical hammer 4 and projects radially from the'hammer through enlarged opening 8 into bolt cavity or socket 7 and secured at its lower end in the wall of the bolt cavityor socket, preferably by a threaded engagement therewith. The pin has an annular cut or grooved between its ends and is engaged at or adjacent to the cut or grooved section by the bolt or piston 9, which has a vertically-beveled forward end. The hammer-chamber is formed the same as in the form shown in Fig. 1, to allow a slight rotary movement of the hammer therein. When the bolt is forced forward in its cavity, the central reduced section of the securing pin or shank will be forced laterallyin front of the bolt, the transverse sections of the pin on either side of the reduced section moving proportionally to their distance from two points, (the center around which the hammer turns and the point of attachment of the lower end of the pin with the fuse body in the bolt cavity or socket,) producing a transverse bending strain which is concentrated at the reduced section of the pin, causing the pin to break at said section to release the hammer in its chamber. The structure shown in Fig. 5 is designed to operate with a primer-head such as shown in either Fig. 1 or Fig. 3.

In Fig. 6 the hammer-chamber 3 is of cylindrical shape, having the slot or opening 8, leading to the bolt cavity or socket. The hammer 4 is of approximate pear shape, with its enlarged impact end fitting the hammerchamber and its reduced end resting loosely in the end'of the ham mer-chamber adjacent to the bolt cavity or socket and free to move laterally. A headed securing-pin passes through an axial opening in the hammer and itis supported to retain the hammer in inop: erative position in its chamber. Iner has an impact-head 4 and is adapted to operate with a primer-head having a single centrally-located primer, such as inFig. 3. In this form of fuse the action of breaking the securing-pin is the same as with, the forms shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the hammer movingin a rotary direction, while the bolt moves in a rectilinear direction.

In Fig. 7 the fuse-body is of the same con:

The ham 120 is screwed into the bolt or pisten 9, whereby struction as in Fig. 6, but the hammer is of V cylindrical shape, loosely fitting the hammerchamber and formed with an axial opening 4, which flares or enlarges toward the' bolt end. v A headed securing-pin 6 passes through the flaring opening it? and isscrewed into the bolt 9. The head of the pin engages an internal shoulder r in opening 4 for confining the hammer. A firing-pin 4- is attached. to the head of the hammer in position to detonate the primer supported in a primer-head in any suitable manner. In ,this form of the fuse the firing-pin ball is omitted frdni the primer-head to allow firing-pint to detonate the primer. In this form of fuse the pin is capable of a slight movement in a rotary direction independently of the hammer, which cannot move laterally, the tlaring axial opening in the hammer allowing the movement of the pin.

In Fig. 8 I have represented diagrammatically the successive positions of thepartingsections of the soon ring-pin during the br'eakingaction in the forms of fuses shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. a indicates the portion of pin moving with the hammer in a rotary direction, while I) indicates the portion of pin moving rectilinearly with the bolt or piston. c is the point of rupture due to the bending strain.

In Fig. 9 I have shown in a similar manner the breaking action of the pin in the form of fuse shown in Fig. 5, in which the sections upon either side of a reduced section move proportional to their distance from two points,

the center of rotation of the hammer and the point of attachment of the lower end of the pin with the fuse-body. a and Z) indicate the parting portions, and cthe section of rupture.

In Fig. lOIhave shown the breaking action in the forms of fuse shown in Figs. 6 and 7, which is very similar to the action illustrated in Fig. 8.

The operation of my improved fuse as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 will now be described. The fuse being applied to the projectile with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the projectile is fired from the gun. The pressure of the exploded propelling charge of the gun which expels the projectile therefrom forces the bolt or piston 9 longitu dinally in its socket or cavity 7, the belt .or

piston traveling rectilinearly and tending to carry the securing-pin and connected ham mer in the same direction, causing the hammer to rotate slightly in the hemispherical seat 3 in the lower part of the ham mer-chamber, the result. being the application of an effective transverse bending strain upon the securingpin between the bolt andhammer, which breaks the pin at th point and releases the hammer in its cl The effectiveness of the transverse b1 strain upon the secnring pi due to the divergentpaths of rnoterner of the bolt and hammer, which prevents t' e various transverse sections of the securing-pin from moving at velocities proportional to their distance from the center around which' the hammer moves. During the flight of the projectile the hammer 4' rests under the force of the spring 50 or 38 in the hemispherical recess 3 of the hammer-cham-' The principal useful and desirable result,

derived from my improved arrangement is the greatest possible safety with a given force available for releasing the hammer, whereby the hammer can be more effectively secured against accidental release previous to the firing of the shell. It is evident that the limit of the force holding the hammer in its seat in the fuse-body-is the direct tensile strength of the smallest crosssection of the retaining pin or shank, and the strain set up by accidental shocks to whichthe fuse is subjected previous to firing, which would tend to release the hammer in its chamber, would almost entirely be that of direct tensionupon the pin or shank, while the force necessary to the release of the hammer .in its chamber is a transverse bending force controllable by a sharp groove or thread cut in a single short section of the pin or shank. The disparity between these two forces can be readily,

shown by taking a small metal rod, preferably steel, having a sharp circumferential groove cut into it' at a .point midway of its length. To break this grooved rod by a transverse bending strain concentrated at the reduced section would require only a small fraction of the force necessary to disrupt the rod by direct tension or shearing.

By the expression used in the specification and claims the securing pin or shank connected with the hammer I mean to cover any and allmeans of connecting or joining the securing pin or shank an-l. hammer, whether the pin or shank is screwed into the hammer or is formedintegral with the hammer, or passes loosely through the hammer and confines the hammer upon it by means of a head or enlargement-or other confining means or any other connection whereby the hammer is supported in its chamber by the pin or shank.

I consider my above-described invention subject to the broad claims contained in my above-named application; filed .October 36, ISJS, Serial No. (594,587, in that the hammer is supported in inoperative position in its chamber by a securing-pin held in the hull. cavity or socket and constructed to yield and break under a transverse bending strain exerted upon itby the firing-bolt. My present invention differs, broadly, from the invention covered by said application in that the tr nsverse bending strain for breaking the securing-pin is exerted by the divergent: paths of movement of the parts of securing-pin ac jacent to the hammer andbolt, and I claim this distinction broadly in my present case.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a fuse-body having a ham mer-cham her and a com m'unicating bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in its chamber, a bolt or piston supported in the bolt cavity or socket and arranged to be exposed to the gas-pressure of I the propelling charge of the gun, and a hammer-securing pin, sensitive to lateral bending strain, and connected with the hammer and held in the bolt cavity or socket; the hammer, the bolt and the hammer-securing pin being constructed and arranged to cause one portion of the pin to move in a lateral rotary direction with relation to a point more or less distant and restrain another portion of the pin from moving proportionally to its distance from said point, whereby the pin will be subjected to a breaking transverse bending strain, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a communicating bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in its chamber, a belt or piston supported in the bolt cavity or socket and arranged to be exposed to the gas-pressu re of the propelling charge of the gun, and a hammer-seen ring pin connected with the hammer and bolt and sensitive to lateral bending I .strain; a portion of the ham mer-securin-g pin being adapted to move in alateral rotary direction with regard to a pointmore or less distant, and another portion of the pin being adapted to move in a divergent path disproportionately to its distance from said point, whereby the pin is subjected to a breaking bending strain, substantially as set forth.

3. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of 'a fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a communicating bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in its chamber, a bolt or piston supported in the bolt cavity or socket and arranged to be exposed to the gas-pressure of the propelling charge of the gun, and a ham-.

Tiler-securing pin connected with the hammer and bolt and sensitive to lateral-bending strain; the hammer and bolt being arranged to move in divergent paths or directions when the bolt is forced forward in its cavity or socket by the gas-pressure of the propelling charge of the gun, substantially as set forth.

4. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a communicating bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in its chamber, a bolt or pisof the bolt exerted through the securing-pin,

substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of the fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a bolt cavity or socket, a hammer in the hammer-chamber, a bolt in the bolt cavity or socket arranged to be exposed to the gas-pressure of the propelling charge of the gun, and a hammer-seen ring pin, sensitive to lateral bending strain, connected at its opposite ends with the hammer and bolt and passing freely through an opening communicating between the ham mer-chamber and bolt cavity or socket and inclined to the transverse diameter of the bolt, substantially as set forth.

6. In a fuse forprojectiles, the combination of the fuse-body having a hammer-chamber formed with an approximately hemispherical lower end and a bolt cavity or socket extending transversely of thehammer-chamber and communicating therewith through a slot or elongated opening extending in the direction of length of the bolt cavityor socket, a spherical hammer supported in the hammer-chamber, a bolt or piston in the bolt cavity or socket, and a hammer-seen ring pin sensitive to transverse bending strain secured at its opposite ends to the hammer and bolt and extending through the slot or elongated opening, substantially as set forth. I

7. In a fuse for projectiles, the combination of a fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a bolt cavity or socket communicatii'ig through an enlarged opening, a spherical hammer in its chamber having a limited rotary movement and confined against direct lateral movement by its engagement with the wallet the hammer-chamber, a bolt in its cavity or socket having a rectilinear move- 'ment, and a securing-pin sensitive to transverse bending strain and connected at its ends with the. hammer and bolt, whereby, when the bolt is forced forward in its cavity or socket by the firing of the projectile from the gun, the hammer moving onlyin a rotary direction and the bolt moving only in a line'al direction, the hammer-securing pin will be strained and bent laterally untilit breaks to free the hammer in its chamber, substantially as set forth.

8. In afuse for projectiles, the combination of a fuse-body having a hammer-chamber and a communicating bolt cavity or socket, a hammer supported in its chamber, a bolt IIO or piston supported in the bolt cavity or socket and arranged to be exposed to the gaspressure of the propelling charge of the gun,

and a hammer-securing pin connected with and extending rediailyfrom the nemmerand' rigidly attached to and extending in a transversely-inclined directionfr'om the bolt, said pin being sensitive to lateral bending strain; the hamrner and bolt being arranged to move eeoeze in divergent paths or directions when the bolt 10 is forced forward in 'iteoavity or socket by I the gas-pressure of the propelling charge of the gun, substentiaiiy as set forth.

HENRY 'MERRIAM.

Witnesses;

' 'WM. E. KNIGHT,,

V. BIDGOOD. 

